City says dogs encourage more activity; serving residents of new housing another goal

City officials said the goal was giving the residents of several new downtown housing projects a place to bring their dogs for exercise. Grape Day is the only large park in the city’s urban core, where more than 1,000 new apartments and condos are either built, under construction or planned.

Lifting the ban is also part of a wider city strategy to reduce crime and homelessness in the park by encouraging city residents to use it more frequently.

“More people using the park at more times of the day would be a great thing,” said Wendy Barker, executive director of the park’s Escondido History Center. “Everywhere you go people have dogs these days, and now they can bring them to the park.”

Many people have been bringing their dogs to the park despite the ban. City officials said the rule change will allow them to do so without the threat of being asked to leave.

Joyce Masterson, the city’s economic development manager, said the move was prompted partly by the 198-apartment Latitude 33 complex, which opened just north of the park two years ago.

“We want to make sure the increasing number of urban dwellers feel welcome in the park,” Masterson said. “We’ve also noticed that people seem to want to bring their dogs to the park when festivals and other special events are held there.”

Dan Forster, president of the Escondido Downtown Business Association, also praised the move. He said allowing dogs in the park would give many people another reason to visit downtown, which is often relatively empty on weekends.

Forster said he’d love to see a special off-leash area created within Grape Day Park, but city officials haven’t yet discussed that.

Forster said his only concern would be whether people would consistently clean up after their dogs.

Barker agreed, but said she hasn’t seen any problems so far.

While the ban was quietly lifted last month, Masterson said signs announcing the new rules and dispensers with bags for dog poop will soon be installed in the park.

Park rangers interviewed Friday said they’ve seen significantly more dogs since the ban was lifted, despite no signs announcing the change.

Gabriella Ontiveros, who lives nearby, said she was unaware of the rule change when she brought her dog Twinky to the park Friday. She said she was planning to “risk it,” but was relieved to discover she wasn’t breaking any rules.

Masterson said dogs are still banned in most city parks. They are allowed in Mayflower Dog Park without a leash, and they are allowed with a leash in Grape Day, Kit Carson Park and Daley Ranch, she said.